1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a pipe unit and a method of assembling a pipe conduit using the same. More particularly, the invention is directed to a pipe unit whose length is adjusted by an adjusting structure and a method of assembling the pipe conduit using the adjusting structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a semi-conductor factory, periodic service and maintenance is essential to maintain the efficiency of operation and the lifespan of the production facility. During the service and maintenance of the production facility, part of the elements of the production facility is removed, so that unnecessary substances are removed and malfunctioned elements are replaced. After the service and maintenance are done, the elements are assembled again. When assembling the elements, the assembly tolerance, the characteristics and positioning of elements need to be taken into consideration to assure that best efficiency is achieved after the assembly is done.
Take the pipe conduit of semi-conductor production facility used in the transport of plasma for example. The pipe conduit normally consists of several pipe units. Considering the working environment and terms for assembly, the pipe unit is normally a bellow. During the periodic service and maintenance of pipe conduit, only necessary part of the pipe unit is disassembled for service and maintenance. After the service and maintenance are done, the disassembled pipe units are assembled with the pipe conduit again. Due to the characteristics of high temperature and high pressure of plasma transport, the material of the pipe unit must be high-temperature and high-pressure resistant and strong enough such as stainless steel. The pipe unit has considerable thickness and weight, and it is not easy for the operating personnel to apply forces from the two ends of the pipe unit to compress the pipe unit so that the pipe unit is precisely positioned in the pipe conduit. Furthermore, the leakproof element of the pipe conduit such as an O-shaped ring may be worn out during the process of assembling the pipe unit, causing leakage to the pipe conduit.